Discussion following with director Claire Denis, moderated by Justin Chang.

35 mm!

BEAU TRAVAIL

1999,
Janus Films,
90 min,
France,
Dir: Claire Denis

Considered by many to be Claire Denis’ masterpiece, BEAU TRAVAIL sets Herman Melville’s classic novella Billy Budd in a distinctly modern milieu, telling a universal tale of jealousy while mining the intricate details of the French Foreign Legion’s presence in the Gulf of Djibouti. Tuning in to the haptic qualities and emotional registers of the physical world in a way only Denis can, the film examines what is both on and beneath the surface of this dry, salty environment, juxtaposing it with the glistening, sweat-ridden skin of its all-male subjects. The journey begins backward, as former Foreign Legion officer Galoup (Denis Lavant) longingly recalls his days as a leader of men. As we soon discover, his downfall involves a homoerotic jealousy so destructive that the lives it touches will never be the same. Featuring Grégoire Colin and Michel Subor.

In French with English subtitles. | Special Ticket Prices: $15 General, $13 Cinematheque Members. No vouchers. | 35mm print courtesy of Institut Français, thanks to the cultural services of the French Embassy.